Ayodhya: Top court allows Muslim parties to file their written note

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed Muslim parties, including UP Sunni Wakf Board, to file their written note in the decades-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case, in which they have submitted that the verdict will have "consequences" for the future polity of the country.

READ | Ayodhya Case: Muslim Parties File Statement On Moulding The Relief

A counsel for Muslim parties submitted before a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that they be allowed to bring their written note on the moulding of relief on record for the perusal of the five-judge Constitution bench which had reserved its verdict on October 16 after conducting a 40-day-long hearing in the politically sensitive land dispute case. A lawyer for the Muslim parties in the case said that various parties and the apex court registry had raised objection to the filing of the written note in sealed cover.

"We have now served our written note to all the parties on Sunday," the lawyer said and asked the bench to direct its registry to take their note on record.

READ | Ayodhya Dispute: All Parties Submit Written Arguments To Supreme Court

The bench which also comprise justices S A Bobde and S A Nazeer, however, pointed out that the contents of the written note, filed in the sealed cover have already been reported in some sections of media.

The Ayodhya case

There has been a longstanding legal dispute about the ownership of land in Ayodhya, which is considered as the birthplace of Lord Ram. The Constitution bench of the SC, comprising of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justices S A Bobde, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer reserved its verdict on Wednesday, after hearing the matter continuously for 40 days. In another development, the Ayodhya mediation panel headed by former SC Justice Kalifulla, senior advocate Sriram Panchu, and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar submitted its report to the SC outlining its proposals to solve the dispute. 

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